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Downing of Malaysian plane ‘unspeakable crime’ if proven

Australian prime minister Tony Abbott says perpetrators should swiftly be brought to justice

Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 06:41Updated: Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 11:06

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER with registration 9M-MRD operating as flight MH17 is seen at the G3 gate of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam before it took off for Kuala Lumpur. Photograph: Yaron Mofaz/Reuters)

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that if the downing of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine was a deliberate act, then “it is an unspeakable crime” and the perpetrators must be swiftly brought to justice.

US vice president Joe Biden said the downing of the airliner apparently was “not an accident” and that it was “blown out of the sky”.

“If it does turn out that this aircraft was brought down by a surface to air missile, there is no doubt that this would be, under those circumstances, an unspeakable crime and the perpetrators should swiftly be brought to justice,” Mr Abbott said.

He declined to be drawn on the reason for the crash, saying all reports remained unconfirmed.

“We just have all sorts of reports and claims flying around,” he said. “That’s all we have at the moment, reports and claims.”

Mr Abbott said he planned to speak with Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak later today and that Australia would deploy staff to Kiev to assist in an investigation.

Asked if he would still welcome Russian president Vladimir Putin to Australia for the G20 Leaders Summit later this year if Russia were proved to be behind the accident, Abbott hinted there may be repercussions.

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“That’s a fair question, let’s just wait and see exactly what turns out to have happened here,” he said.

“But obviously, it is the clear and settled decision of the Australian government that larger countries should not bully smaller ones, that countries should not aid people who are in rebellion against their own government and that international disputes should be settled peacefully in accordance with international law.”